WTAPS' HOKA Sneakers Are Tastefully Tough Trail Shoes
WTAPS didn't beef up HOKA's Anacapa trail sneaker and Ora Luxe sandal because it didn't have to. HOKA's ultra-cushioned shoes are already chunk-tastic outdoor shoes, so all WTAPS had to do was beautify 'em.
And beautify 'em it did: WTAPS's militaristic design language translates perfectly to two titanic HOKA shoes.
WTAPS x HOKA delivers the Anacapa Low GTX and Ora Luxe in both green and black colorways, laden with logos and WTAPS' crossbones motif.
The Ora Luxe slide is pretty self-explanatory but WTAPS made HOKA's satisfyingly huge Anacapa Low sneaker look like a hardy field shoe by stripping it back to beautiful basic, realizing the trek shoes with tonal GORE-TEX-lined uppers over white midsoles and black Vibram Megagrip outsoles.
What results is a sturdy and waterproof sneaker suitable for WTAPS' outdoorsy inclinations, releasing via WTAPS' website on May 24 and select stockists shortly after.
WTAPS is a 25-year-old Japanese clothing label founded in the wake of the '90s Ura-Hara fashion revolution that also launched peers like NEIGHBORHOOD, UNDERCOVER and fragment design.
In its early days, founder Tetsu Nishiyama incorporated the hardcore militaria design cues similarly fetishized by longtime pal and BAPE founder NIGO but in recent years, WTAPS has shifted focus without sacrificing its core ideology.
The field jackets, technical ponchos and cargo pants remain but there's a decidedly street-leaning edge in the large-logo'd T-shirts and seasonal lookbooks styled by city boy master Akio Hasegawa.
WTAPS now represents a look that's particularly popular in Chinese and Taiwanese streetwear scenes, where oversized technical clothing is markedly in-demand and often worn with fresh kicks
Which is, of course, another thing WTAPS knows plenty about.
WTAPS' New Balance sneaker collaborations are the stuff of legend, ultra-refined dad shoes defined by delectable beige and grey colorways. And, of course, always instantly sold out.
That WTAPS would partner with HOKA actually makes ample sense. Two great technical tastes that taste great together, especially with HOKA's inclination for grass-toned dad shoes with a functional bent.
Of course, it's worth noting that the supposed WTAPS x HOKA sneaker collaboration was not initially confirmed by WTAPS or HOKA, even after the imagery was first leaked online in mid-May, but WTAPS effectively sealed the deal on May 17 via Instagram.
Not that it's a big surprise, anyways: it just makes so much sense.
